TLP should understand, we have to fulfil some requirements of FATF: Rashid
ISLAMABAD – Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Monday that the next cabinet meeting scheduled on Wednesday would decide on the demands of banned Taehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) that include lifting of ban on the organisation and removal of names of its leadership from the Fourth Schedule — the federal list of suspected militants.
Sheikh Rashid also said that talks with the leadership of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were moving in right direction and expressed the optimism to resolve the outstanding issues.
“We stand by our words. The government would fulfil commitments made with the religious party during negotiations… and will take the matter (of TLP) demands to the cabinet,” the minister said while addressing a press conference here at the Ministry of Interior.
He said that they had reached an understating with the TLP about its demands. “Our negotiations with TLP went very well.” He said that TLP has some demands including lift of ban on it that was imposed on April 15 this year by the federal government under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, removal of names of its leaders and activists from the Fourth Schedule and release of its activists besides some others.
Sheikh Rashid said that some people were insisting that these demands should be met immediately but there were some legal lacunae that need to be filled to meet them and TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi “understands this well. So, we will follow the (legal) process and matter would be taken up in the cabinet (for a final decision).”
He said that he has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday after he would return from his visit to Saudi Arabia and would discuss the matter with him before the cabinet meeting.
After two days of violent protests by the TLP activists and supporters, the banned group following lengthy talks with the government team led by the interior minister had decided not to proceed with its long march to Islamabad. The group had agreed that its supporters would camp in Muridke, a city about 55 kilometers from Lahore, till Tuesday when the government would fulfil its demands that have been agreed upon during the negotiations.
Regarding the TLP demand of expulsion of French ambassador, the interior minister said that the issue would be taken up by the parliament. He said that the TLP chief has been told that France was heading European Union while Pakistan having atomic and missile technology has become a thorn in the eyes of world and India was behind it. “We are also facing economic problems besides we still have to fulfil some requirements of FATF (Financial Action Task Force) and TLP should understand all this, he added.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan before his departure to Saudi Arabia had directed his Principal Secretary Muhammad Azam Khan to unfreeze accounts of madrassas and they should be allowed to operate new accounts. “On my request, the PM had directed his secretary to ask the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in this regard as the government should know about the funds being received and spent by these religious seminaries.”
The minister said that he had held two meetings with imprisoned TLP chief Saad Rizvi in Lahore but not in jail and found him “more cooperative” than other leaders of the organization.
Sheikh Rashid while giving a reference to the violent protests of TLP said that he wanted to conclude the matter once and for all because “something new happens every six months and people face difficulties.” It is my wish that matters should conclude in the way they have been agreed with the TLP, he added.
“We should admit that TLP was the third largest political party in Punjab and has the right to do politics,” he said and added, “We don’t want confrontation.”
The minister said that the anti-government rallies of Pakistan Democratic (PDM), an alliance of opposition parties, were facing no public response. What is the response of the people the PDM is getting,” ’he said adding that the answer was “no.”
About the recent meetings of US Charge d’ Affaires Ms Angela Aggeler with opposition leaders, he said that such meetings were a routine in nature and stressed that “the decisions of Pakistani politics would be made within Pakistan.” We are not weak enough that our decisions would be made from outside, he added.